Agentic AI and the CX reset: The tech changing how brands serve and retain customers

Australia is emerging as a testbed for a new era in customer service, one where AI isn’t just assisting humans, but acting autonomously to resolve issues, anticipate needs and reshape the frontline of brand experience.

This shift is being powered by agentic AI, a rapidly emerging generation of intelligent digital agents designed not just to answer questions, but to take action on behalf of customers, employees and brands. And the implications for marketing, CX and brand loyalty are already having a profound impact on how the customer experience is evolving under a tech-led reset.

At Zendesk, Salesforce and fast-growing accommodation provider Urban Rest, agentic AI is already in-market, solving problems that were once the domain of sprawling customer service teams - and setting the pace for what CX will look like in the years ahead.

“Expectations are changing rapidly,” says Sarah Gavin, Zendesk’s chief communications officer and interim CMO. “The expectation is that chatbots will get it right. Knowledge is the new currency.”

Zendesk, which is awaiting regulatory approval to acquire Australian voice platform Local Measure, sees the future of customer service as increasingly autonomous. Gavin believes 80% of all customer interactions will soon be handled by AI agents, not just chatbots following a script, but true agentic systems that can resolve complex issues, hand off to humans when needed and even self-improve over time.

“The cost of reacquiring customers over and over again is really brutal for marketers,” she adds. “A customer who loves you, who’s going to come back to you directly…that’s everything.”

A major change in AI-powered CX is the shift from interaction-based to resolution-based pricing. As Gavin explains, most platforms charge companies each time a customer engages, even if their issue isn’t resolved. Zendesk is moving in a different direction, one towards greater transparency on its pricing model.

“We won’t charge unless the problem is solved. That’s a radically different financial model and one that aligns us more deeply with customer success.”

It’s part of a broader trend toward outcome-based service delivery, where companies no longer pay for effort, but for results.

Connecting CX, AI and growth

Salesforce ANZ senior vice president and chief marketing officer Leandro Perez believes this transformation isn’t just technical, it’s redefining the CMO’s role.

“I’m quite passionate that the CMO could be in the driving seat now of something much bigger than themselves,” Perez says. “Marketing has always owned the customer conversation, but agentic AI shifts that from a campaign to a continuous journey.” He says many Australian marketers are still catching up. “There are three camps,” he notes. “Those charging ahead, those curious but cautious and those still waiting for permission.”

But he is clear about where growth is happening. “This isn’t theoretical, agentic AI is live, in the wild and changing how brands work.”

On Salesforce.com.au, Perez has already deployed an agentic AI layer that manages thousands of weekly enquiries, distinguishing between customers, prospects and support needs in real time, and routing each to the appropriate path. In some cases, an AI agent even books meetings or continues the conversation over email, mimicking human follow-up.

“Ultimately, we’re training multiple agents to talk to each other,” he says. “At scale, that’s a game-changer.”

AI-powered service with a human face 

For Urban Rest, a fast-growing digital-first accommodation provider, agentic AI has been a quiet revolution.

Operating across Australia, New Zealand and Europe, Urban Rest offers premium apartments for corporate and long-term travellers, with no physical front desk. Instead, guests interact via WhatsApp, SMS, or email, supported by AI agents trained on everything from WiFi instructions and how to operate the coffee machine in your room.

“The guest might be asking how to reset the oven or how the coffee machine works,” says Jeff Baars, Urban Rest chief commercial officer. “The agent can instantly reference the exact model installed in their apartment and deliver a tailored answer much faster than any human could.”

This isn't about cutting corners, Baars insists. It’s about giving people better service in the channel and format they prefer and freeing staff to focus on proactive care.

“It means my team can spend less time on routine requests and more time calling guests before they arrive, offering tips and making sure they feel welcome.”

Agentforce, the Salesforce-powered platform driving Urban Rest’s system, has become central to their service model, with up to 30% of enquiries now handled without any human involvement. Yet the handoff, he says, when it happens, is seamless.

Beyond bots: The empathy and trust factor

Perez believes success in this space depends not just on smart tech, but on brand transparency and emotional intelligence.

“We don’t recommend masking AI as human. Be upfront. Say it’s an agent, but always let people escalate if they want to,” he says. “Trust and transparency are critical.”

Salesforce has built internal guidelines around brand tone, toxic language filtering and ethical use of LLMs, allowing businesses to connect their own models and set their own limits.

Zendesk, too, stresses the human impact. “This isn’t just about replacing jobs,” says Gavin. “It’s about augmenting your best people, letting them focus on what humans do best - building loyalty, solving complex problems, and creating joy.”

Both companies practice what they preach. Zendesk is using agentic AI internally for sales coaching, call review, and onboarding. Salesforce recently held public activations in Sydney’s Martin Place and at the Australian Grand Prix to demonstrate how these systems work, not just for IT teams, but for everyday users.

What CMOs should know now

For marketers and CX leaders navigating this shift, the message is clear: agentic AI isn’t a futuristic concept, it’s a competitive advantage already in play.

“It’s not just part of your business,” Baars says. “It is your business. It’s your brand.”

The advice from those still questioning the strategy? Don’t wait for perfection.

“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress,” Gavin says. “You don’t need everything aligned to get started. You need a solid foundation, a smart knowledge base, and a willingness to learn.”

Perez agrees. “This is probably the last generation where you’re only managing humans. Going forward, you’ll be managing agents, multiple of them. That changes how you lead. But it also creates enormous new opportunities for scale, service and growth.”